Classics

Amazing Fantasy #15. “Spider-Man!”

Rating: 4/5

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

First appearances of Spider-Man, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Flash Thompson. High school student Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, thus gaining the proportionate strength, speed, and agility of a spider, along with a precognitive “spider-sense.” Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, an instant TV sensation, but coming out of a TV studio one day, Peter does not stop an escaping burglar, claiming it is not his problem. A few days later, he comes home to find his Uncle Ben has been shot, and goes to track down the murderer, only to find that it was the same burglar that he had let escape a few days earlier. Peter blames himself for his uncle’s death and realizes that with great power there must also come great responsibility.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #31. “If This Be My Destiny…!”

Rating: 4/5

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

The 1st appearances of Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Professor Miles Warren. Peter Parker starts College. Spider-Man battles some goons on a sub. First of three-parter.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #32. “Man on a Rampage!”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Aunt May is in hospital with radiation poisoning in her blood due to a transfusion from Peter. Doc Ock turns out to be the one behind the goons on the submarine. Dr. Connors helps Spider-Man develop a serum to cure Aunt May. Spider-Man gets trapped under a bunch of fallen machinery during a fight with Doc Ock. Second of three-parter.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #33. “The Final Chapter!”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Legendary issue where Spider-Man must escape after being pinned under heavy machinery in order to get the antidote to Aunt May. Third of three-parter.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #121. “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gil Kane

In this landmark issue, the Green Goblin regains his memory and kills Gwen Stacy

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The Amazing Spider-Man #122. “The Goblin’s Last Stand!”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gil Kane

The death of The Green Goblin/Norman Osborn.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #229. “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Roger Stern
Artist: John Romita Jr.

The Juggernaut’s employer wants Madame Web for her psychic abilities. Juggernaut walks off the boat and starts walking to her apartment. In a direct, straight line. Breaking through buildings, knocking cars out of the way. The title does not lie. Nothing slows him down, he just walks through everything. Madame Web got a vision of this and contacts Spider-Man. Spider-Man can’t do anything to stop him. Juggernaut picks Madame Web up out of her life support chair and she goes into convulsions. Spider-Man tells him she’ll die if not in that chair. Juggernaut drops her and says she’s no good to him dead and walks away. Spider-Man gets furious and an ambulance takes Madame Web to the hospital.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #230. “To Fight the Unbeatable Foe!”

Rating: 5/5

Writer: Roger Stern
Artist: John Romita Jr.

Spider-Man goes after Juggernaut for vengeance after he nearly killed Madame Web. Juggernaut nears the pier where his boat’s waiting. Spider-Man takes a tanker truck and drives it directly into Juggernaut (but jumping out before impact) and it explodes fantastically. Juggernaut walks out of the wreckage on fire, Terminator style. Spider-Man leaps onto his back and covers Juggernaut’s eyes. Juggernaut gives him the pounding of a lifetime until he discovers that he’s stepped in wet cement on a construction site. Spider-Man watches him sink all the way to the bottom. Peter visits Madame Web in the hospital, but she’s had some memory loss due to brain damage and doesn’t recognize him.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #248. “And He Strikes Like a Thunderball” & “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man”

Rating: 4/5

Writer: Roger Stern
Artists: Ron Frenz & John Romita Jr.

This issue has two stories. Both about 11 pages. First, Spider-Man battles Thunderball and wins. Now, the other one, The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man is considered to be one of the top 10 Spider-Man stories ever by almost anybody who makes such a list. What’s it about? Somebody writes an article about a kid who collects articles, film reels, and memorabilia about Spider-Man. Spider-Man goes to visit him. He tells him all about how he came to be Spider-Man, why he fights crime, and how his web shooters work. Then the kid asks him who he really is. Spider-Man hesitates but then takes off his mask and says he’s Peter Parker and that he took most of the pictures the kid collected of Spider-Man. The kid finds it hilarious that Jameson pays Peter to take pictures of himself. Peter tells him he can’t tell anybody. As Spider-Man leaves, we see he’s exiting from the cancer ward of a hospital. From an excerpt of the article written about the kid, we find out he has leukemia and his wish is to meet Spider-Man and talk to him for a few minutes. We also find out he only has a few weeks to live.

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